Automobile-wheel.



As. C. Bumm. AUTOMOBILE WHEEL'. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2, 1913.

Patented Mar. 9, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

JZ '4A s, G. BURSO.

AUTOMOBILE WHEEL.

APPLIGAL'ION FILED JUNE 2, 191s.

LLLQQM, Patented Mar.9,1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2,

Zd G V33 o invento@ M W www Haw n #attorneysl THE Mmm; PETERS CU.,PHOIC-LITHO.. WASHINGTON, D. C.

FlltdF..

SCHUYLER COLFAX BURSON, 0F AXTELL, KANSAS, ASSIGNOR 0F ONE-HALF TODORUS' H. PIPER, 0F AXTELL, KANSAS.

AUTOMOBILE-WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent. u

Patented Mar.. 9, 1915..

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that l, SGHUYLER COLFAX BURsoN, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at AXtell, in the county of Marshall and State ofKansas, have invented a new and useful Automobile-VVheel, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The device forming the subject matter of this application is a resilientwheel, and one object of the invention is to provide a yielding rim ofnovel and improved form.

Another object of the invention is to provide resilient means of noveland improved form for connecting the rim operatively with the bodyportion of the wheel.

lt is within the scope of the invention to improve generally and toenhance the utility of, devices of that type to which the presentinvention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as thedescription proceeds, the invention resides in the combination andarrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafterdescribed and claimed, it being understood that changes in the preciseembodiment of invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope ofwhat is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings z-Figure 1 shows the invention in side elevation, partsbeing broken away; Fig. 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1; Fig. 3is a section on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2; Fig. 4 is a side elevationshowing a slightly modified form of the invention.

ln carrying out the invention there is provided a rim 1 which may befashioned from any desired material. Therim 1 comprises a plurality ofsections 2, of which sections there may be any number. In order tosimplify the drawings, but four sections 2 are shown, but this numbermay be varied as the taste of the manufacturer may dictate. rlhe rim 1supports a tire 3 which may be of any desired form, although,preferably, an imperforate rubber tire is used. interposed between theends of the sections 2 of the rim 1 is a resilient structure, thisstructure preferably comprising, in each instance, a block 4 whichordinarily is of rubber. In the end faces of the sections 2 of the rim 1there are recesses 5, alined with a passage 6 in the block 4. Located inthe recesses 5 and in lrini 1, but held in the the passage 6 is a pin 7which may be pivoted to one rim section 2 as indicated at 8. rlhe freeend of the pin 7 is'spaced apart from one rim section 2, so that the rimsections may move in a longitudinal direction with respect to each otherwhen the block 4 1s compressed. In the recesses 5 and in the passage 6is a compression spring 9 which surrounds the pin 7, the ends of thespring 9 abutting against the sections 2 at the bases of the recesses 5.

Supports 10 are secured to the sections 2 of the rim 1, the supports l0to all intents and purposes constituting a part of the rim 1. One of thesupports 10 is provided with ears 11, between which is received a tongue12, formed upon the other support 10. rl`he ears 1'1 and the tongues 12are slotted, in alinement, and circumferentially of the rim l, asindicated at 14. Mounted to reciprocate in the slots 14,circumferentially of the slots against movement radially of the rim 1,is a securing element 15, connected with spaced arms 16, formed upon theouter end of a spoke 17.

The body of the wheel is denoted generally by the numeral 18 andcomprises a hub 19, a primary intermediate ring 20, a secondaryintermediate ring 21, an outer ring 22 and spokes 23 extended betweenthe hub and the several rings. It will be understood that, if desired,the body 18 as above described may be cast or otherwise formed in onepiece. Threaded into the inner primary ring 20 is a tubular sleeve 24,within the bore 25 of which, the inner end 26 of the spoke 17 isslidably received.

rllhe spoke 17 is mounted to slide in a yieldable frame, denotedgenerally by the numeral 27. The frame 27 comprises an inner head 28 andan outer head 29, the outer end of the tubular sleeve 24 bearing againstthe inner face of the inner head 28. compression spring 30 surrounds thespoke 17 and bears against the heads 28 and 29 of the frame 27. Othersprings 31, located upon opposite sides of the spring 30, bear againstthe heads 28 and 29. Upon one or both of the heads 28 and 29, as may befound expedient, are located studs 32 which engage the ends of thesprings 31 and serve to hold the same in place. rllhe spoke 17 isthreaded throughout a portion of its length as indicated at 34, toreceive a nut 35 which bears against the outer head 29. A compressionspring is interposed between the nut 35 and that portion of the bodyofthe wheel which is represented by the secondary intermediate ring 21.

If desired, cover plates 37, held in place by any suitable means, may beapplied to opposite faces of the body 18d of the wheel, so as yto .house-.and protect the resilient, spoke supporting and adjusting structureshereinbefore referred to.

Operation: When any one spoke is vertically disposed, the .pressure`imposed upon the tire will be carried from the tire 3 into the rirnl l.and thence into the spoke 17, the nut 35 carrying the weight into thehead 29 and thence into the springs 30 and 3l which will be compressed,the head 28 constituting anabutment for the springs, and the weightbeing carried thence by way of the Yadjustinghsleeve 24 into the ring 20and thence into the hub 19of the wheel.

.'Ihe sleeve 24 adjustable to vary the compression afforded by thesprings 30 .and 31, yand this result may bev accomplished by adjustingthe abutment nut35, The spring 36 serves to Khaut the outer movement ofthespolellandsa'veselsoaimante preventing thenut 35 from rotating, afterlit has been adjusted. v

The `pin 7 serves to1 limit the transverse movementik of the sections 2with respect to each other, rVihen, however, the adjacent ends of anyone pair of sections 2 are posi-` tioned lat theside ofthe wheel and aredisposed 4in asubstantially horizontal plane, both theblocl; 4 and thespring 9 will yield, eircumferentiallyof the rim, thus giving the rimresiliency. ,The spoke 17, however, is not strained, because the spokeis connected with the rim for movement circumferentially of the rim,thel securing elements 15 being adapted to move in the slots 14.

Modification :l Referring to Fig. 4, the parts hereinbefore describedare designated by reference characters previously employed, with thesufx f a. In this form of the invention, the yieldable frame 27hereinbefore described, together with aeeessory parts, is replaced by adouble convexed spring vk33.I The operation of the structure shown inFig. 4 need not be entered into in view of .they discussion of that formof the invention which is shown in l.4 y Referring to Fig. 4 of thedrawings, the springs 3K3v and 36,a maybe described asresilientLcompressive structures abutting at their remote ends againstthe rim parts, there being an abutment 35a on the spoke and engaging theadjacent ends of the resilient structures. Referring to Fig. 1, one ofthe resilient structures is shown at 36 and the other of the resilientstructures embraces the elements 29, 31 and 28, the abutment being shownat 35.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is i 1. In a wheel,ak rim comprising sections; a resilient block located between the endsof the sections; a pin terminally mounted in the rim sections andextended through the block; a compression spring surrounding the pin andextended through the block and engaged with the rim sections; and aspoke assembled with the rim.

2. In a wheel, a rim comprising sections; a resilient block interposedbetween the ends of the sections; a pin terminally mounted in thesections and extended through the block; a compression spring extendedthrough the block and surrounding the pin, the spring abutting againstthe sections; and a spoke connected with the rim for movementcircumferentially of the rim.

3. ln a wheel, a rim comprising sections;

aaahontbloclinterposedbetweenlhasa tions; a pin extended through theblock and terminally mounted in the sections; and a spoke having pin andslot connection with the rim, permitting the spoke to movecircumferentially of the rim.

4. In a wheel, a rim comprising sections; a spring interposed betweenthe sections; a pin extended through the spring and terminally engagedwith the sections; and a spoke connected with the rim by a pin and slotconnection to permit the outer end of the spoke to moveeircumferentially of the rim.

5. In a spring wheel, a body comprising radially spaced inner and outerparts; a spoke slidable in said parts; a rim carried by the spoke andmovable independently of the body; resilient, compressive structuresabutting at their remote ends against said parts; and an abutment on thespoke and engaging the adjacent ends of the resilient structures, theabutment being movable upon the spoke to adjust both resilientstructures at once. I

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

soHUYLEn ooLFAx BURsoN.

Witnesses:

JOHN LIEHTY, JOHN U. PAYNE.

(topics of this patent may be obtained for ive cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

